Lost
by LionshadeSC
Summary: The daughter of the Chosen One gets lost going on her way to her first class at Hogwarts. An old friend comes to help her.


An 11 year old Lily Luna Potter ran through the schools of Hogwarts. Her face flushed from running in the deserted hallways and her heart pounded fearfully in her small chest. She clutched her schoolbooks to her body and kept running, tears pinpricking the corners of her eyes. First day of school starting and she was going to be late and probably get detention! How could this happen to her? Stupid older students telling her where the Potions class room was. How could she be such an idiot as to trust them? They were Slytherin after all. She had thought that Slytherins were just as nice as Gryffindors the way Dad always went on about the previous headmaster, Professor Snape, always talking about how great, brave and courageous he was. She enjoyed listening to her father's stories of when he was a student, and how much he had hated Professor Snape and how much he had thought Snape hated him in return, when it was really his father he hated.

"Well it's not your fault you look like your father Daddy!" Lily had piped up, listening intently to her father speak.

_I'm such an idiot, _she thought bitterly as she hopelessly turned another corner, hoping to maybe come upon a familiar landmark that would help her get somewhere. She wanted to poke in to a room and ask for directions but her face flushed helplessly. No. No that would be so embarrassing. Potions wasn't really that important right? She could always just skip. . . But what would Mum say? She'd be so angry. Dad would be a little disappointed but he wouldn't be seriously angry. Mum would be stern. That was it.

Lily turned another corner and another before finally realizing that she was desperately, horribly and hopelessly lost.

Letting out a soft moan that was part of a cry, she sunk down against a wall and pulled her knees up close to her chest, her legs pressing now against her books. Small tears dripped from her eyes and she cried silently in to her arms as they wrapped around her knees.

It felt like only a few moments had passed when a hand gently touched the top of her head. She looked up jerkily to see a gentle face looking down on her. He was tall, an adult. Pale, his hair a sleek almost greasy black and eyes even darker. He wore long black robes that trailed along the floor, and his thin lips had gently inched in to a kind smile.

"Hello," he said softly. "Are you lost?" His voice was just a whisper, but the girl knew that he could probably sound very threatening and ominous if he spoke louder. But a voice inside her said she could trust him. Lily gave him a feeble nod and wiped her nose with her sleeve.

He reached a hand to her. "Come on then. I'll help you. Where are you going off to?"

"Potions," Lily sniffed to herself as the hand lifted her up nearly effortlessly.

"Okay. Let's take you there then. Slughorn right?" Lily nodded. "What's your name little dearie?" he asked, bending down slightly to get more level with her. _He's tall, _Lily noted.

"Lily," she said in almost a whisper. "Lily Potter."

The stranger (who must be a teacher) smiled at her even more gently. "Then Miss Potter, may I take you to your class?"

She nodded quickly and reached down to pick up her books, which were quickly taken by the teacher. "I'm a gentleman Miss Potter. I'll carry your books. Come on now Lily, let's go."

The teacher started to lead her through the hallways and they had only taken just a few steps when the girl reached up her hand to slide it in his. Her hand was almost instantly met with warmth, warmer than any person she had held hands with, which were her parents and a couple times her brothers, though that was very rare.

They had only just turned a single corner when Lily looked up to the man. He walked, almost gliding, not making a sound as he went. She licked her lips before talking and asked, "Sir, are you a teacher here?"

"I was. I'm retired," he answered in a calm and smooth voice.

"Retired? But you're so young."

"I retired early."

"Oh." They walked a little more. "What are you doing back at Hogwarts then?"

"Just a little visit."

"To the Headmistress?"

"Not exactly."

"What's your name?"

The question seemed to catch him off guard for a moment. He actually stopped, and the first year stopped with him. Her bright red hair fell down lightly to her shoulders and her bright hazel eyes looked up to the teacher. _Her grandmother's hair and her grandfather's eyes. It's like her father in reverse, _the teacher thought with a slight smirk.

"Severus."

"So should I call you Professor Severus?"

"If you want. But I am retired. And my last name is Snape. Back when I taught here at Hogwarts the students called me Professor Snape."

"Oh." Lily thought for a moment and the pair continued on. She looked up at him, hopeful and bright after a moment. "Severus then!"

Snape smiled down at her. Though her words were an exclamation, they sounded like a question as well, as if asking permission to call him that. "Yes, Severus is fine."

Snape turned his head again and Lily could have sworn as she looked up at him, that his figure glimmered for a moment as if out of focus before settling again. And she had been sure that she had seen two pinpricks of red near the base of his neck.

But she didn't ask.

Beaming at him anyway, Lily walked with a little more confidence next to her newly made friend. She didn't ask anything more of why he was here or anything of his past, but she just kept walking. He didn't ask her anything either.

At last they got to where the staircase to the dungeon was. Snape and Lily stopped. "Okay. This is far as I can go." Snape knelt down so he was on one knee. Just go down these stairs and you'll find the entrance. Can you do this for me?

She nodded bravely, but bit her lip nervously. "O-Okay."

He reached up a hand to gently hold her face with one long hand. "Can you do this for me princess? You can do it. Don't worry. Lots of first years get lost on their first day. It's a big school."

Lily nodded and Snape stood up to leave. He turned to walk away and Lily scrambled after him, wrapping her small arms around his waist from behind and giving him a big hug. "Thank you Sev!" she said hurriedly, then ran back and hurried back down the dungeon to her potions class.

Still standing in the corridor, slightly shocked, Severus Snape stood, pivoted slightly so he could look over his shoulder at the entrance of the dungeon. He finally gave a small smile and disappeared.

Later that day Lily looked around for Severus to catch sight of him somewhere, but she couldn't find him anywhere.

_Must be busy with the headmistress, _she thought gloomily. Lily talked of the teacher with her friends to ask if she had seen anyone that looked like him in the halls today but was unlucky. No one seemed to know of the mysterious young retired teacher clad in black head to toe.

McGonnagal had paused at the lunch table where Lily Potter and her friends sat. "Miss Potter," she said quietly.

Lily turned. "Oh. Yes Professor McGonnagal?"

Minerva smiled at her, "Would you please come with me?" 

Stunned and slightly frightened, Lily hastily stood up from the table and followed the teacher to the statue that guarded the Headmaster's (or mistress's) office.

"Lemon drop," McGonnagal said, a twinge of amusement in her voice.

The gargoyle moved aside and the young first year followed after her loyally.

Lily got to the top of the staircase and looked around at McGonnagal's office. It was rounded and cozy. McGonnagal went over to her chair and sat facing Lily. "Miss Potter, I saw that you were late for Potions this morning."

"Yes. I'm sorry for that. It won't happen again."

Minerva nodded. "Did you ask for one of the teachers for help?"

"No. One of them found me and took me there."

"Oh. I see. Was Professor Slughorn upset with your tardiness?"

"No. He was nice about it. He said I was just a first year so it'd be okay."

"Of course. Thank you. You are dismissed."

But Lily appeared to have not heard her. She was staring around at all the pictures on the wall. "Professor, who are all of these people?" Some were napping.

McGonnagal looked up. Her smile was patient. "Past headmasters of Hogwarts."

Lily stared around at them, and her eyes finally rested upon a very familiar face. Dumbledore. Or more commonly known at her house, 'the most brilliant wizard known in the entire world.' Her brother Albus had been named after him.

Lily looked over at McGonnagal. "So, Professor?"

"Yes?" she asked, looking up.

"The teacher who helped me in the hallway, what was he doing here?"

"Which teacher was it?"

"He said he was retired from Hogwarts. Said he used to teach here."

"Oh. Who was it dear?"

"He said his name was Severus Snape. Er- Professor Snape I mean."

McGonnagal's quill she had been writing with abruptly snapped in half. She lifted her eyes to the girl, eyes that were now widened in shock. "What did you say?" she whispered.

"Uh, Professor Snape helped me get to Potions class."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, black hair that looked kind of greasy, dark eyes. Kinda pale. He was nice."

McGonnagal stood up. "It must have been someone else."

"Eh?"

"Lily, the man you are describing must not have been Professor Snape."

"Why?"

"Because Professor Snape has been dead for almost twenty years now." McGonnagal pointed her finger over at a picture that Lily had skimmed over. On it was the very same picture of the man who had helped her just that morning. Lily's heart skipped a beat as she read the name below the picture. _Headmaster Severus Snape_

Lily stared at the man who smiled at her in the same way he had that morning and gave a little wink.

"_Albus Severus Potter. You were named after two of the greatest Headmasters of all times. One of them was a Slytherin and was probably the bravest man I knew." _

"_Sev. Severus. Headmaster Severus Snape." _Hadn't she been told dozens if not hundreds of times what the professor had looked like? His long nose, his sallow face? Hadn't she been reminded before of her brother's namesake? Hadn't she learned the name over and over in her head from the stories her father told her when he had defeated Lord Voldemort?

Lily Potter turned to look at Professor McGonnagal, at a loss for words. She looked what she felt. Confused and desperate. How could-

But Lily's thoughts cut off when she could suddenly see him right behind McGonnagal. He looked just as normal as he had been earlier. He had a healthy glow about him that felt warm, and his eyes danced with amusement as he raised a finger to his lips and made a shush sound from his breath. Lily widened her eyes and blinked.

He was gone.

There was a warm brush of air against her body and something cold was placed against her hand. She clasped her fingers around it and opened them to find a silver chain necklace with a star at the end. And with it, a note.

_I gave this to your grandmother long ago. It belongs to you now. Take care of it precious Lily. I'll never be far away._

_-Sev_

**I dont care if they were ooc I thought it was awesome! :D **

**Yes I think snape would have moved on but he totally could have come back to help out Lily Evan's granddaughter. **


End file.
